Brother-in-law of Shahbaz Gill’s driver remanded to police on two-day physical remands, wife sent to jail on 14-days judicial remand
ISLAMABAD, August 11 (SABAH): A district and sessions court in Islamabad granted on Thursday the Islamabad police’s request for two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr. Shahbaz Gill’s driver’s brother-in-law, while sending the driver’s wife to jail on 14 day judicial remand.
The court announced its judgment shortly after reserving it after hearing the accused’s counsel’s arguments.
Following the court announcing its judgment, the counsel for the wife filed a post-arrest bail petition, on which the court later issued notices. Judicial Magistrate Salman Badar has summoned the police and prosecutor today (Friday), asking for the wife to kept in jail for one night.
Earlier on Tuesday, Shahbaz Gill was arrested on charges of sedition and inciting the public against state institutions.
Following Gill’s arrest, the ICT police raided his driver’s home and maintained that the driver’s family had protested in a government car.
During court proceedings on Thursday, the accused’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry said that the incident took place at 9:00 PM last night and claimed there was “video evidence proving that the police entered [the driver’s house] without a warrant”.
The lawyer also claimed that the police had vandalized the accused’s home and also beaten them.
“We were to file a petition for habeas corpus today but the police released the news to the media,” said the advocate as he argued that “considering the role the woman played in the case posits her to be discharged” since “all but one provision in the suit are bailable offenses”.
During the proceedings, the accused’s 10-month old daughter began crying and was prevented from meeting her mother upon which Civil Judge Salman Badr ordered the girl to be brought to her in the courtroom.
When the judge asked the woman if she wanted to say something, she stated that “the police broke the door and entered [the house], we only came to know [of the incident] when the police had reached our bedroom. Our privacy was not even considered”.
“More than 20 police officers entered the bedroom and tortured us,” added Nauman. “The police entered without a warrant and violated the sanctity of the home,” argued the lawyer.
Advocate Faisal Chaudhry was snubbed by the judge for “mentioning Shahbaz Gill’s arrest in another case” and directed to “restrict the arguments to the present case”.
In the FIR registered against Izhar and others, police said Gill — who has been remanded in police custody — revealed during interrogation that he had given his mobile phone, which contained considerable matter regarding the case against him, to his driver/assistant, Izhar, at the time of his arrest. The FIR said he told police that Izhar still had his mobile and was living at his in-laws’ residence.
Following this revelation, a special raiding party was constituted and it went to the house where Izhar was staying at 1:40am on Thursday, the FIR said, adding that when the door was knocked, a man and a woman came outside. “The man identified himself as Izharullah while the woman identified herself as his wife, Mehreen.”
The FIR said both of them began creating a hue and cry after seeing the police party and called five to six more people from inside the house.
“All of them attacked the police party, put up resistance, began creating a hue and cry and threatened the police party. As a result, more people gathered at the scene,” the FIR read.
It alleged that while the suspects were putting up resistance, some of the suspects tore the shirt of a constable, Sajjad Shahid. They also tore buttons off his shirt and snatched his mobile phone and wallet, which contained his ATM card, service card and Rs15,000 cash, the FIR said.
It added that Mehreen and another suspect, Noman, were arrested from the scene while the rest managed to flee because of the dark. Subsequently, a case was registered against all the suspects.
The FIR was registered on behalf of Sub-Inspector Talat Mahmood of Kohsar police station under Sections 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 147 (punishment for rioting), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the theft), 186 (obstructing public servant in the discharge of public functions) and (use of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
In the FIR, police identified some of the suspects who fled as Hazbullah, Izaharullah, Sardar Imran Khan and Zafar Iqbal.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Asad Umar, tweeted: “The wife of Shahbaz Gill’s driver has been picked up by the police … They are completely baffled. Where are the champions of human rights and democracy?”
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry the police’s action, saying that women and children were spared even during wars.
But “this fascist government has crossed all limits of cruelty and revenge,” he said.
Ex-human rights minister Shireen Mazari termed the arrested “pure terrorisation of ordinary citizens by [an] imported government which has been rejected by the nation”.
As condemnations poured in, Islamabad police defended its move and said in a statement on Twitter that the raid and arrests were “legal”.
They said the driver’s family had “resisted” a state action, and that police were “collecting evidence linked with this case” — apparently a reference to sedition case registered against Gill. “Wherever legal action is needed, police will do their job,” the statement read.
Police said the ambit of the case could be extended to other provinces, outside Islamabad, adding that legal action would be taken against individuals found involved in hiding proof and erasing evidence.
They also appealed to people not to pay heed to fake news, warning of action against those spreading false news and anarchy. “Islamabad police will ensure that the law is implemented,” they vowed.